1. Shepherds were intimately acquainted with nature. They could accurately predict the weather by observing the patterns of the wind, observing their animals’ behavior, and reading the stars. 
 
*We are the sheep.  We are not God.  Jesus is God.  He reads our current environment, intuits the storylines of our lives, factors in how we are wired, and then orders our days with wisdom.  We can trust our Shepherd’s providence. 
 
2. Shepherds were clued into their flock. They knew when one was acting abnormally, saw the beginning stages of an illness, and discerned subtle indications of stress.
 
*Other people can be clueless regarding their understanding of us. They miss the obvious signposts.  Our Great Shepherd does not.  Nothing goes unnoticed.  He picks up on everything, sees what’s coming, and prepares future provisions before we need them.  
 
3. Shepherds possessed excellent knowledge about flowers and plants that could be used medicinally to treat their animals.  
 
*Jesus will Shepherd us in all the places we are wounded.  Only He knows what will heal us.  What He prescribes, even to what seems ludicrous, is precisely what is needed for our wellbeing. We don’t know more than our Creator.  
 
4. Shepherds would move their flocks to better grazing areas, pastureland with hidden water sources, according to the seasons and changing climates. 
 
*Change is usually stressful.  Yet our Shepherd promises to lead us to green pastures.  Leaving a place of abundance fills our hearts with anxiety.  Where is He taking us?  Will the next place be as good?  We can know this ~ we can trust Him to define what is good ~ knowing ‘He will withhold no good thing from us.’
 
5. Shepherds were considered unclean because of their lifestyle and proximity to animal waste and disease.  
 
*Jesus was written off because of His associations with sinners and because He touched the dead.  He took the Gospel to the last places religious people would have gone.  Our Shepherd also leads us to places we wouldn’t choose for ourselves.  They aren’t logical.  Advisors may shake their heads.  But our Shepherd knows what sheep don’t know. Wherever He leads, we are safe in His care.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.  Psalm 84:11